How to hire a meat cutter apprentice

How to hire a meat cutter apprentice, step by step

Here's a step-by-step meat cutter apprentice hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a meat cutter apprentice job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new meat cutter apprentice
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your meat cutter apprentice job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a meat cutter apprentice for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a meat cutter apprentice to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a meat cutter apprentice that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of meat cutter apprentices.

   Type of Meat Cutter Apprentice	Description	Hourly rate
   Meat Cutter Apprentice	Butchers cut, trim, and package meat for retail sale.	$10-19
   Butcher	A butcher is someone responsible for turning whole or large pieces of meat into ready-to-cook or retail-ready portions that can be purchased by customers or restaurants. Butchers know how to cut meat, poultry, and fish properly, so they deal mostly with sharp instruments like knives, grinders, and other cutting equipment... Show more	$12-19
   Meat Wrapper	Typically working at meat and butcher shops, a meat wrapper specializes in preparing, cutting, processing, and wrapping meats for selling. To carry out their duties, they must inspect the meat's quality, utilize saws and grinders, weigh and wrap portions, and display it on shelves while adhering to the health protocols and standards... Show more	$11-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Quality Standards
   • Food Safety
   • Customer Orders
   • Product Knowledge
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Display Cases
   • Safety Regulations
   • Customer Service
   • Safety Guidelines
   • Grinders
   • Frozen Food
   • Food Handling
   • Sales Floor
   • Fresh Meat

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assemble, sanitize maintained and used various equipment, including industrial grinders, sharpeners, band saws and wrapping machines.
   • Stock shelves, bag groceries, assist customers, supervise other employees.
   • Operate equipment such as grinders, band see, cuber, patty maker and automatic bone scraper.
   • Maintain cleanliness and organization of work station and surrounding areas.
   • Collaborate with management to help maintain inventory levels.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your meat cutter apprentice job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A meat cutter apprentice salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, meat cutter apprentices' average salary in mississippi is 43% less than in new hampshire.
   • Seniority. Entry-level meat cutter apprentices earn 45% less than senior-level meat cutter apprentices.
   • Certifications. A meat cutter apprentice with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a meat cutter apprentice's salary.

   Average meat cutter apprentice salary

   $14.70hourly

   $30,581 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level meat cutter apprentice salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

4. Writing a meat cutter apprentice job description

   A job description for a meat cutter apprentice role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a meat cutter apprentice job description:

   Meat cutter apprentice job description example

   Job Title: Cutter Apprentice
   
   PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY: Must safely set up and operate the machine according to the training program to acquire quality product at the desired target speed of each run.
   
   SECONDARY RESPONSIBILITY:
   
   * In accordance with our 5S system, maintain a clean work environment including the machine, floors, desks, and fans.
   * Stock the machine with materials needed for set up and die working
   * Tools on the machine are to be in their proper holding places, borrowed tools are to be returned once they are no longer needed.
   * Locate issues that may occur mechanically to the machine as part of set up and while observing the machine while it is running.
   * Effectively utilize any machine downtime (not including approved breaks) by assisting with set-up or performing other tasks associated with maintaining a clean work environment or as otherwise instructed by a supervisor.
   * Occasionally will be asked to perform a different job, or be temporarily placed in a different department based on production needs.
   
   QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE: High school diploma or general education degree (GED); or one to three months related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Must have basic computer skills and possess ability to utilize software. Must have mechanical ability and skills.
   
   LANGUAGE SKILLS: Must have the ability to read and understand documents, letters, etc. and write legibly in English. Must be able to understand and speak clearly, communicate, and understand directions in English as needed.
   
   MATHEMATICAL SKILLS: Must have the ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide both fractions and decimals, solve equations, read a tape measure, and have an understanding of both standard and metric measuring systems.
   
   PHYSICAL DEMANDS: While performing the duties of this job, the Apprentice is regularly required to walk, stand, use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls and reach with arms and hands. Frequently required to climb, balance, twist, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Frequently must lift/move 25 to 50 pounds. Must be able to perform these functions for a minimum of 8 hours straight (with a 30-minute meal break any other applicable breaks during his/her shift) on a regular basis. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Team member successfully performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions, but the essential functions cannot be eliminated or performed by others.
   
   Regular attendance and reporting for work on time are necessary requirements as is availability for overtime work if necessary.
   
   WORK ENVIRONMENT: Exposure to a dusty atmosphere with loud noise, which may require both eye and ear protection in some areas. Moving mechanical parts will also be exposed; safety guards have been put in place for the safety of all Team members but during set up, if a machine must be broken down and reassembled to complete the next job, questions regarding such operation should be directed to your supervisor as they arise. The work environment characteristics described are representative of those a Team member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions, but the essential functions cannot be eliminated or performed by others.

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5. Post your job

   To find the right meat cutter apprentice for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with meat cutter apprentices they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit meat cutter apprentices who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your meat cutter apprentice job on Zippia to find and recruit meat cutter apprentice candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting meat cutter apprentices requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new meat cutter apprentice

   Once you have selected a candidate for the meat cutter apprentice position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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